This omelette is: Soft. Good for short eating.
I imagine Traditional Japanese cuisine or Washoku to occupy a warm plush seat in gastronomy for the feeling of zen it transcends to food. Washoku isn't just about the food we visualise, breathe in and bite but the well thought out intention that goes into preparing the dish.
The term cropped up in the early 90's to differentiate true Japanese food from hybrid Japanese foods that appeared as migrants from neighbouring countries began settling in Japan. So this became the native's way of preserving Japanese cuisine at its core. They did this by outlining five principles. Think of it as a shared heirloom but one that is intangible. These five principles decide if a meal can be typified as washoku.
Five colours calls for the use of foods that are black, red, yellow, green and white— to ensure a balance between protein, rice and vegetables and also the best use of Japan's vibrant yield. The second is five tastes, the use of five flavours to rouse your tastebuds—sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy. The third speaks about incorporating five ways of cooking to keep elements from tasting alike: simmering, boiling, steaming, etc. Ofcourse a fives theme is undone without one about the five senses, the food should please the eyes, befriend the nose, go crazy with textures, tingle the tongue and produce a great background score. The fifth and final principle is five outlooks, a summation of the five eating principles in Buddhism - first, respect the provider, second, be worthy of a shared meal, third, come to the table without ill intention, fourth, eat for your body and mind, fifth, be committed to the pursuit of enlightenment.
Make yourself a multi-sensory Japanese rolled omelette, the Tamagoyaki. Please note that tamagoyaki refers to the omelette by itself; the topping is purely from a figment of my imagination so feel free to go whackadoodledo with the topping per you.
Itadakimasu
Tamagoyaki Recipe
Makes 1 Tamagoyaki
For the Tamagoyaki:
3 eggs
20 ml water
1 tsp mirin (alternative: rice wine vinegar)
1 tsp sugar
A pinch of salt
Oil for greasing
For the topping:
2 tbsp oil
2 dried red chillies, chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
A handful of mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Few sprigs of dill
You will also need:
Folded tissue paper
Nonstick pan
Flat metal spatula
To make Tamagoyaki:
1. In a bowl, crack the eggs, add sugar, salt, water, mirin and whisk to form a uniform liquid
2. Fold a tissue paper into a square and drop a felew drops of oil on it. We will be using this to grease the pan throughout the process so feel free to repeat the step when the tissue loses its grease.
3. Heat a nonstick pan on low medium heat and grease. After a minute, drop 1/3rd of the beaten egg mixture and swirl gently to evenly spread the mix.
4. When the bottom begins to take some form and the top remains a bit runny, using a metal spatula gently begin folding 3 sides 1cm inwards. I like to leave the right side unfolded.
5. Now begin rolling the omelette from left to right. Once this is done, push the rolled omelette back to the left side, grease and pour the second 1/3rd of the mix over the remaining area while the roll rests on the left side.
6. Repeat the same process of folding and rolling but this time incorporating the roll from the first pour.
7. And lastly, grease and pour in the final third of the mix.
8. Fold and roll. Be gentle.
9. Gently ease the tamagoyaki off the pan and place into your serving dish.
To make the topping:
1. In the same pan, on medium heat, add oil, red chillies and chilli flakes. Sauté. Be careful of burning the chilli flakes, so when the oil is visibly red, move on to the next step
2. Add mushrooms. Sauté until they are reduced to half their size and gently lay them over the Tamagoyaki.
3. Garnish with sprigs of dill and relish.
Comments